Teams enjoying inaugural 12u BCS

MARIETTA,
Ga. – 10 teams have been
competing against each other in the 12u BCS Finals, which started on
Friday, June 29. The event, which features squads from as close as
Georgia as well as one as far away as Puerto Rico, is in its first
year.
So
far the tournament could be described as a roaring success as it has
served a purpose in giving younger players a taste of what is to come
in their next five-six years of travel baseball.
“It’s
just a great tool to get players seen in the upper level age groups,”
said 643 DP Cougars head coach Greg Brown of Perfect Game events,
“and it’s nice to have it filtered down to the 12s. That way the
coaches and players can both be familiar with the format at a young
age.”
Brown,
a former ballplayer at University of Tennessee-Knoxville as well as a
Philadelphia Phillies farmhand, said the tournament has been run very
well thus far.
“There’s
always a Perfect Game representative at your field. I do like that,”
Brown said. “Any time there’s a question, the umpires actually go
to a Perfect Game rep to clarify a ruling.
“Also
I love it that Perfect Game’s name draws from around the country.
It’s a great opportunity to play other teams that you don’t
usually see during the year. In my opinion, outlets for good baseball
are always welcomed.”
East
Cobb Rays head coach Mike Hostetler said he was pumped up when he
first caught wind of this new tournament.
“We
were excited about the opportunity to be able to play here,
especially with it being in our home park,” said Hostetler, who
played at Georgia Tech before going on to pitch in the Atlanta Braves
minor league system. “It’s a chance to prove ourselves against
nationally-ranked, high-level competition.”
Teams
from outside of Georgia have gotten something out of the tournament
as well.
“We’re
so happy that Perfect Game’s now getting a chance to see some of
the younger boys at 12u,” said USC Knights head coach Roman Nunez,
a team from the Bronx, N.Y. “I think it’s great that the players
get the exposure at a younger age. That way they learn how to
compete. The competition level’s a lot higher than what they
normally see, and that’s how their level of play goes up.”
Nunez
said he appreciates the opportunity to be able bring a team down to
Georgia to compete in this tournament because it allows the players
to interact with competition who they normally would not see in New
York.
“After
playing here and going back to the city, our guys will be a lot
better because the competition is that good here,” Nunez said.
“We’ll prepare to be a part of this tournament every year. Our
kids are now thinking about 13u, 14u and 15u.”